Preservation board to weigh Star Tribune building demolition

Minneapolis staff is recommending that a historic preservation commission sign off on demolition of the Star Tribune's building on Portland Avenue, with one condition: Keep the medallions.

That refers to six stone medallions embedded in the facade of the building, each representing a different Minnesota industry. They are dairy, milling, mining, fishing, farming and lumber. The heritage preservation commission will weigh the demolition application at a meeting Tuesday.

The demolition is necessary to make way for a park that has been proposed as a complement to Ryan Companies' massive mixed-use development adjacent to the new Vikings stadium.

In their report, city staff members concluded that the building "appears to meet the definition of a historic resource."

They nonetheless recommended moving forward with demolition, as long as the medallions were removed and incorporated into the proposed park.